Carmel Covered Compromise
1 Kings 18
Bob Nass
As we’ve been studying the books of Kings we’ve seen that
God had established his people as a nation under his rule
and authority and they rebelled and wanted to be ruled by
kings. We’ve seen how this decision led to great power and
might as a nation and a beautiful temple to be built to honor
God. But all that power and religious beauty was built on a
faulty foundation and we’ve watched as has all crumbled.
Now I’m going to tell you something about my past that I’m
pretty sure even my wife Wendy does not know. What I’m
going to tell you will show you what a church kid I was
growing up. . . When I was in elementary school I got the
lead role in our church drama about 1 Kings 18 called “God
with a Capitol G.”
Yes! I played Elijah and I can still remember the song that
we sang at the beginning and end. It went like this: “God,
with a capitol G. He’s the only true God. Answers us when
we call on Him. He will help us through thick or thin. He
Baal move over. Make room for Jehov-er. He’s the only true
God. With a capitol G!”
By my recollection, I had a better singing voice back then!
But there’s a reason that Fair Oaks Church chose this story
for their children’s play. This story is a classic. The rest of
Kings is a big downer for God. Throughout Kings God does
not seem to get a break. It’s a story of disobedience after
disobedience. Ignoring God after ignoring God.
Then we come to this chapter and we get a story we can tell
our children. God is victorious and the false god never
shows up. In a competition between God and not God we
find that God wins.
If you ever have a test and the question is: “who’s better,
God or not God?” After hearing this story you know the
answer is “God.”
When it comes down to it, most of us are pretty used to this
kind of thinking when it come’s to religion. We are
accustomed to understanding this either/or view. When
Elijah says “how long will you waiver between two
opinions?” We understand that a choice must be made when
it comes to religions. We’ve been a part of a culture that
understands that religions claim exclusivity and religions
claim to demand a decision.
But it is a bit more difficult to understand the view of the
Baalist. You see, ancient paganisms were not exclusivistic.
A belief in many gods, each with his or her own sphere of
influence, means that they were open to worshipping
whichever god was appropriate in any given situation.
So following Baal, using the gifts of the creator to make sure
one had a secure and prosperous life, was not seen as being
contrary to following God. Even though it’s evident that the
people knew about who God was and his exclusive claims,
their inclusive tendencies made them unable to make a
decision. In verse 21 after Elijah says a decision must be
made the author says the people said nothing. The people
could say yes to Baal and the people could say yes to God,
but when told that they had to say no to one they were
frozen.
Now I don’t know where you’re at today. Maybe you’re
wavering between two opinions, God or not God and Elijah’s
simple question is the one you’re wrestling with. If that’s
your question, I hope and pray that you experience the one
true God through Jesus Christ in a way that makes you
recognize that he is truly God and exclusively worthy of
your worship. I pray that you don’t leave here today
without committing your life to the Lord through the free
gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. This is truly the
greatest decision of your life and the reality is that you are
deciding between the God of the universe and the not God,
who does not show up.
But, I suspect that for many of us today, that’s not the
question that we’re wrestling with as much. We’re not
wrestling with the questions of God or not God.
As I pondered this question in my own life I found that my
own Baal is not anything obvious like some statue to
worship, but when I considered what scholars say Baal
represented: security and prosperity, suddenly this story hit
home a whole lot more. Suddenly I saw that this kind of
inclusivism is everywhere and it pulls at my life more than I
would like to admit.
When Jesus was walking on the earth he spoke directly
about a decision that applies to many of us. In Matthew
6:19, Jesus talks about treasures and he says don’t store up
treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and thieves
break in a steal, but store up treasure in heaven. For where
your treasure is there will you heart be also. No one can
serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the
other or be devoted to one and despise the other. You
cannot serve both God and money.”
To which we reply; “is that a dare?” Why can’t I store
treasure on earth AND treasure in heaven? Why can’t I
serve both God AND money? Why does Jesus have to insist
in using that horrible OR word?
We live in a culture of AND. We are a people who believe
that we can truly have it all. We don’t believe that we have
to make decisions between work and family and sports and
toys and school and activities and God. . . we’ll just drive
faster and we can make it to everything and do it all.
But Jesus throws that OR wrench into the engine and stops
us. He says we can’t do it all. We do have to make decisions.
We have to be willing to cut things out in order to really love
God.
As I was preparing for this message I heard about a
university study where they had two people play the game
Monopoly and they randomly selected, by the flip of a coin,
one of those people to receive more money at the beginning,
at each passing of Go and to roll twice as many dice as the
other person. What they found was fascinating, that person
who got the lucky flip recognized very quickly that things
were moving in their favor. It did not take long for them to
become obnoxiously louder, began displays of power and
celebration, become rude, and at the end the rich players
talked about how well they had done and how they had
made great choices in purchasing houses and making
strategic decisions even though it was obvious that the deck
was stacked.
The study went on to survey people across income levels
and they found that as income increases: Compassion and
empathy go down and entitlement and self-interest go up.
Another study that I shared here two weeks ago showed
that, in terms of giving in America, the more a person makes
the less percentage they give away. That is a pretty
amazing statistic. The more a person makes, the less they
give away.
But there’s a reason for all this. As Andy Stanley points out:
wealth has side effects.
Do you believe that wealth has side affects? Maybe you’ve
met some wealthy people in your life and you think man
they’re strange, but you can’t quite put your finger on it. It’s
because wealth has side affects.
The first side affect is that rich people live in denial. Now
this is a strange one. Tall people admit they’re tall, short
people will tell you they are short. Athletic people are
honest about they’re abilities. Introverts will tell you
they’re introverts, extroverts can’t wait to tell you that they
are extroverted.
But rich people are in denial about their wealth. Gallup did
a survey not to long ago and the average American replied
that if a person made 150K per year they were rich, but then
they asked people who made 150K per year if they are rich
they said oh no, I’m not rich. So they asked people who
made 30k per year who is rich and they said that anyone
who makes 75K per year is rich. But if you ask someone
who makes 75K they’ll say, Oh no, I’m not rich.
A few years ago Money magazine asked their subscribers
“how much money would you need to have in liquid or
almost liquid assets to feel rich?” The average reply was
$5million dollars. So for the subscribers of Money if they
had $2M in liquid assets they’d say no, I’m not rich, 3M, 4M,
4 and a half million, no I’m not rich. And I suspect that if you
asked the average person with $5Million in liquid assets if
they’re rich they’d say no.
Because rich people are in denial.
The second side affect that Andy Stanley talks about is very
surprising. Rich people are plagued by discontentment.
You see, the accumulation of stuff is like an appetite. The
more you have the more your appetite grows. I’ll give you
an example of how crazy this is for rich people. A rich
person will drive up to a car lot and park their perfectly
good car and give the dealer a bunch of money and drive off
in a …car. A rich person will look at their kitchen that has a
stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, sink, countertops. They’ll rip
it all out and they’ll replace it with stove, refrigerator,
dishwasher, sink, countertops. I know, crazy right!! You’re
laughing because you can’t believe this could be true.
Here’s another one. A rich person will stand in line, and
they hate lines because they want everything now. But
they’ll stand in line at the apple store. They’ll be texting
they’re friends on their iphone. “Hey, I’m in line at the apple
store.” And when they get to the front of the line they’ll pay
for a new iphone. I know, crazy right!
This side effect is important to understand because when
you get richer your appetite for stuff will increase.
There are side affects of wealth.
And Elijah tells us choose God not security.
And Jesus tells us choose God, not money.
And we say, that sounds great, but how do you do that. How
do we choose God when we live in a world high on the AND
drug. It’s almost impossible for us to see that a choice needs
to be made and it’s incredibly difficult for us to conceive of
how we can make that choice when we have so many
desires and wants.
Today we are celebrating communion. This table represents
God’s gracious gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. This
table represents that we are in community with God and
with one another and that this impossible choice before us
is not one that we choose alone. It is only in community
with God and with one another that we can live this new life
as new creation.
As we prepare for communion I want to leave you with one
last bit of advise given by a guy named Paul to a young man
named Timothy. In 1 Timothy 6:17 Paul says: “Command
those who are rich in the present world not to be arrogant
no to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to
put their hope in God, who richly provides us with
everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good,
to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and wiling to
share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves
as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may
take hold of the life that is truly life.
Paul says that wealth has side affects. He says that the
wealthy have a tendency to be arrogant and prideful and
that the wealthy tend to try to find security in their wealth. I
think that this is why the rich give the least percentage of
their income. The more you have the more you think you
need to save to maintain your life. But if we really think
about it, how much would we really need to be completely
secure in every foreseeable situation? There’s no amount of
money that actually provides security and hope.
Paul does not say that it’s wrong to be rich. He does not say
“command those who are rich to quit being rich.” But he’s
very clear that rich people have an extra responsibility to be
generous and rich in good deeds.
As a rich people, and people who hope to someday be rich,
may we take hold of the life that’s truly life. May we be a
people who are able to make that decision for Christ and
may Elijah’s prayer in verse 37 be our prayer: “that the
LORD is the only God and he is turning our hearts back
again.”
Benediction – As we leave I want to go out with a prayer of
Abundance. This comes from Mark Scandrette’s book Free:
spending your time and money on what truly matters. And
if you’re looking for a book to help you find a firm financial
foundation for mission centered living this year, I would
highly recommend it.
I know that I am cared for by an abundant Provider.
I choose to be grateful and trusting.
I believe I have enough and that what I need will always be
provided.
I choose to be content and generous.
I know that my choices matter for myself, for others, and for
future generations.
Help me to live consciously and creatively, celebrating signs of
your new creation that is present and coming.
Creator, who made me to seek the greater good for your
kingdom,
Guide me to use my time, talents and resources to pursue
what matters most.
Teach me to be free,
To live without worry, fear or greed in the freedom of your
abundance.
Give me my daily bread, as I share with those in need.
Thank you for the precious gift of life!
AMEN!